3D printing challenges in enabling rapid response to public health emergencies

Summary The sudden epidemic of COVID-19 has led to the shortage of urgently needed medical supplies and strained the global supply chain. At the early stage of the epidemic, the infection of a large number of unprotected health care workers, the inability of patients to receive adequate testing or treatment consequently resulted in the collapse of local medical systems. During this period, 3D printing communities were trying their best to share 3D printed anti-epidemic supplies and fill the gap between traditional production modes and global supply chain. The rapid, decentralized, high degree of freedom and very low threshold manufacturing technology demonstrated its great potential to rapidly respond to a public health emergency with new problems and challenges. This commentary reviews the exhibited capabilities and emerging challenges of 3D printing technology in this epidemic and provides practical suggestions for future rapid response to public health emergencies.